yoga time at the nursing home

yoga time at the nursing home, originally uploaded by Susan NYC.

Taken January, 2006, when my father was still at the Fairfield - a wonderful small nursing home that had exercise, good food, lots of activities, and very little to complain about. But the big thing I didn't like (the doctor on his floor) was enough to have me get my father out of there.

I've always taken my father to a particular Mt. Sinai clinic and a Columbia Presbyterian Alzehimer's doctor - and nursing homes have usually respected her prescriptions, requests, etc. But the Fairfield doctor ignored everything, changed prescriptions, and mocked me when I made requests. I discovered that they had put my father on strong anti-psychotic meds at one point (he suddenly became a zombie) because he told the psychiatrist he had killed his wife. That was his sense of humor talking - which should've been evident from everything else he said. Or at least they should've called me first.

In a nursing home, there can be a written request not to change meds without first telling the family. The nursing homes don't have to comply, and sometimes won't.

Where he is now screwed up his meds, too, but I've since convinced his doctor to at least consider prescriptions from his outside doctor who, she said, sounds like "some fly by night" who doesn't know anything. He's one of the foremost researchers in Alzheimer's, and my father has seen him for nearly 15 years - long before he first went into nursing homes.

(Some things about nursing homes make me crazy.)